Quite many of my users are using PWA. Then getting any links is a bit harder task. Otherhand, they aren’t linking categories and I bet that is true in majority of non-technical forums, where userbase is from social media, not from gaming, tech, IT etc.
I’m not a fan either. It seems like nowadays system is moving toward all-cards desing instead of getting what is looking for. Perhaps I’m so old school that I’m expecting a link beeing a easy way to get the target.
But if I as an admin can choose not to use it, then it doesn’t matter (and in my circles users, those few who has an opinion, don’t like it and if theirs taste changes, and I will move to cards right away. After all my forum is for discussion by users, not for me).